Fiction Review: The Memory House by Rachel Hauck & Giveaway!

Description:

When Beck Holiday lost her father in the North Tower on 9/11, she also lost her memories of him. Eighteen years later, she’s a tough New York City cop burdened with a damaging secret, suspended for misconduct, and struggling to get her life in order. Meanwhile a mysterious letter arrives informing her she’s inherited a house along Florida’s northern coast, and what she discovers there will change her life forever. Matters of the heart only become more complicated when she runs into handsome Bruno Endicott, a driven sports agent who fondly recalls the connection they shared as teenagers. But Beck doesn’t remember that either.

Decades earlier, widow Everleigh Applegate lives a steady, uneventful life with her widowed mother after a tornado ripped through Waco, Texas, and destroyed her new, young married life. When she runs into old high school friend Don Callahan, she begins to yearn for change. Yet no matter how much she longs to love again, she is hindered by a secret she can never share.

Fifty years separate the women but through the power of love and miracle of faith, they each find healing in a beautiful Victorian known affectionately as The Memory House.  

My Review:
I loved this book. The old Victorian home called The Memory House is lovely. The way Rachel Hauck describes the beautiful old home made me wish I could visit. Picture yourself in a place where you can find respite from grief and sadness with the hope of tomorrow, surrounded by beauty. Beck's story broke my heart. To not be able to remember a loved one who passed on would be so hard. As the story trailed Beck's journey then entwined with Everleigh's, I didn't want to put the book down. This is a beautiful story of two women finding their way, despite the obstacles they face. A spiritual thread of hope underlies the story. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

                                                           a Rafflecopter giveaway
Rachel Hauck is an award winning, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journalbestselling author.

Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times Book Reviews. She is a double RITA finalist, and a Christy and Carol Award Winner.

Her book, Once Upon A Prince, first in the Royal Wedding Series, was filmed for an Original Hallmark movie.

Rachel has been awarded the prestigious Career Achievement Award for her body of original work by Romantic Times Book Reviews.

A member of the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers, she teaches workshops and leads worship at the annual conference. She is a past Mentor of The Year.

At home, she’s a wife, writer, worship leader and works out at the gym semi-enthusiastically.

A graduate of Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) with a degree in Journalism, she’s a former sorority girl and a devoted Ohio State football fan. Her bucket list is to stand on the sidelines with Ryan Day.

She lives in sunny central Florida with her husband and ornery cat.

For more information, visit www.rachelhauck.com, Facebook (@rachelhauck), Twitter (@RachelHauck) and Instagram (@rachelhauck).

Where are you When the Lights go Out?

John 8:12

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

1 John 1:6-7
If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

As I chatted with my co-worker in her office, the lights flickered out. Electric all over campus shut off. As soon as we realized what happened, we walked to the main room of the library. No storm brewed outside, instead sunlight flooded the sky lights. Two florescent lights stayed on due to a generator. Students wondered what to do. We directed a few to hang in there until we figured out what was going on. Then, one young man stepped in and went straight to the only table with a light. He unpacked his backpack, sat down with his textbook and started to read. He knew what to do—follow the light.

Every day darkness overwhelms us. If you watch the news, you see people who hate and kill. We read about people who bring harm to others or themselves. Illness and circumstances bring grief. The constant focus on politics and who has said what is just plain irritating. If we'd let ourselves, we could sit in the dark of sin every day. But we don't have to. There is a light that shines to bring hope and love to this world. Jesus is the light. He shines brighter than any darkness Satan can throw over us. Like the young man in our library, let's walk toward the light and focus on our Lord and Savior—Jesus. He is the light that shines in the darkest hour. He is our hope!

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”  ― Martin Luther King Jr.

Fiction Review: A Silken Thread by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Description:
Eighteen-year-old Laurel Millard, youngest of seven children, is expected to stay home and "take care of Mama" by her older siblings, but Laurel has dreams of starting her own family. Operating a silk loom at the Atlanta Exposition will give her the chance to capture the heart of a man wealthy enough to take care of Laurel and any children she might bear, as well as her mother.

Langdon Rochester's parents have given him an ultimatum: settle down with a wife or lose his family inheritance. At the Exposition, Langdon meets Laurel. Marrying her would satisfy his parents' command, she would look lovely on his arm for social events, and in her besotted state, he believes she would overlook him continuing pursuing rowdy adventures with his unmarried buddies. Langdon decides to woo Laurel. Willie Sharp is not well-off and must take on an extra job at the Atlanta Exposition as a security guard. When mischief-makers cause trouble in the Women's Building, Willie is put in charge of keeping the building secure. He enjoys visiting with Laurel, who seems like the little sister he never had, but his feelings for Laurel change to something much deeper. Can Willie convince Laurel that he can give her better life--even with so little to offer?

My Review:
I chose this book to review because I enjoy reading about historical expositions and world fairs. Kim Vogel Sawyer did her research and set the scene for me. She also took on the difficult job of writing about slavery and racism in the south following the Civil War. The way she handled the animosity balanced by the love of one brother for another reflected the love of Jesus in a beautiful way. I loved that Laurel got to stretch her wings and work at the exposition. It was fun to read her story of growth. I loved Willie, what a sweetie. If you enjoy historical fiction laced with faith and hope, you'll love A Silken Thread.  I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook & Multnomah. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What am I Leaving?

Acts 4:36
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”) sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Within a few days, I heard that three men our family knew had passed away. Although I had not seen any of them for some years, I felt the sting of grief. As I prayed for their families and friends, memories of each of them flooded my mind. I'd known Pat since he was a boy and always loved his kind, caring heart. Todd was a friend of our children. The last time Tim and I ran into him he greeted us with his big smile and welcoming spirit. Charlie showered his love for Jesus over me when I needed it most. Every one of these men encouraged me with their loving, hopeful spirit. They left a positive influence on my life. Which made me wonder, what am I leaving?

In the book of Acts, Paul, who was Saul, turned his life over to Jesus. God provided him with an encouraging friend; a believer named Joseph who was nicknamed Barnabas, "son of encouragement." Barnabas left a positive impression on the people he met. He poured God's love over Paul as he traveled and taught with him.

Thinking about the men who passed reminded me that what I do, say, act have an impact on the people God places in my path. Am I making a good impression for Jesus, or am I leaving behind dark clouds of pessimism and negativity?

I'm thankful I remember Pat, Todd, and Charlie as positive influences I my life. I continue to pray for their families and friends as they miss their loved ones. I also pray God reminds me to be an encourager for him.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. -Will Rogers

Raise a Hallelujah!

Psalm 150
Praise the Lord.

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

The other day, two of my granddaughters rode in the Jeep with me. From the back seat, I heard Ella Cate's sweet four-year-old voice. "Grammy Penny, can we listen to music. You know that's what I like to do in the car, is listen to music." I turned on the radio as we drove a short distance to a restaurant. When the song that played ended, she requested a song we both love called "My Lighthouse." We didn't have time to plug that one in, but we'd sung it together before. I promised the next time she's in the Jeep we'd play her favorite. What a joy to know that my grandchildren enjoy music, especially when the songs praise God.

Exposing children to positive, uplifting music gives them another tool to help them navigate this crazy world.

In Psalm 150, the author encourages us to praise God with everything from a tambourine to cymbals. In Hebrew the term "Hallelujah" means praise the Lord. When life goes great—praise the Lord, when life stinks—praise the Lord. Sing hallelujah to the author of life, the Savior of souls, the One who gives grace. No matter what life throws at us, we can find comfort in the music that praises God. Maybe a psalm, traditional hymn, or contemporary chorus. God has gifted some with the ability to write, sing and perform music. He's gifted all believers to take those songs and lift them to him as offerings of praise.

Let's raise a hallelujah to the King of Kings!

Deserve or Serve?

Ephesians 6:7 

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people

As I close in on the last days of working at the college, I'm reflecting on the many tasks I've had as technical services manager in the library. This week, in particular, has been filled with events and activities. Some generous folks in the county donated money for beautiful new study rooms to be built in the library. On Wednesday, many of us buzzed around like bees to put the final touches on the rooms and the library so we could honor the donors at a special event, planned for the afternoon. We cleaned, set-up tables, decorated, and prepped food. My co-workers and I served. We honored people who deserved to be appreciated and thanked.

I'm thankful there are people who do good and deserve appreciation. But even more, I love when those folks are humble and don't want the praise. Our library donors just wanted to make a difference. They didn't seek praise, they didn't want attention. Instead through their attitude they served our students.

When I place the words serve and deserve beside each other, the difference jumps at me. Do I quietly help others or do I seek attention because I think I'm worthy?

Paul wrote to the Ephesians to serve as if they are serving the Lord himself. That's not an attitude of deserving, instead, Jesus wants us to have an attitude focused on serving. Humble, giving, and grateful, Jesus helped others even though he deserved to be served. 

May my heart be filled with the desire to serve.

Fiction Review: Courting Mr. Emerson by Melody Carlson

Description:

When the fun-loving and spontaneous artist Willow West meets buttoned-up, retired English teacher George Emerson, it's not exactly love at first sight. Though she does find the obsessive-compulsive man intriguing. Making it her mission to get him to loosen up and embrace life, she embarks on what seems like a lost cause--and finds herself falling for him in the process.

A confirmed bachelor, George vacillates between irritation and attraction whenever Willow is around--which to him seems like all too often. He's not interested in expanding his horizons or making new friends; it just hurts too much when you lose them.

But as the summer progresses, George feels his defenses crumbling. The question is, will his change of heart be too late for Willow?

With her signature heart and touches of humor, fan favorite Melody Carlson pens a story of two delightfully eccentric characters who get a second chance at life and love.

My Review:
Courting Mr. Emerson is one of the most delightful books I've read in a while. I loved the quirky characters and the lovely little town they live in. George reminds me of a couple of people I've met through the years. Willow's free spirit pops from the pages. One of the things I like most about Melody Carlson's writing is her ability to tell more than one story at a time and weave them together so beautifully. With comedy and endearment, she's penned a lovely story filled with complex and lovable characters. I also like the art angle as a nice backdrop for several scenes and the charming cover. If you want an enjoyable story to curl up with and feel good about, pick up a copy of Courting Mr. Emerson. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.